Every year, each class at Mount Michael has the opportunity to take a day off and go on a retreat together. During the PSAT testing on October 13th, the seniors took a trip to the Pro Sanctity Center for their final retreat together.
“Retreats are important. They are essential, and it brings students all together,” Fr. John Hagemann said. “Retreats give you a chance to leave Mount Michael for a few hours and talk about why you are doing what you are doing.”
For the senior retreat, Fr. John started planning over the summer. He contacted Sesay, a musician from Sierra Leone, and a personal friend. Sesay has helped out with previous retreats by providing music that helps the students connect with each other. They decided the retreat would focus on understanding.
“They all need to understand what the point of learning is; it is NOT just book learning,” Fr. John said. “Sesay and I talked about that all summer; I love working with him.”
During the retreat, the seniors split into groups and played games, where their teams competed in various competitions such as a burping contest, seeing who could dance better, and creating sculptures out of the student’s shoes. The winner of these competitions got to eat lunch first.
“The competitions were really fun. They were interesting at times, but it was really enjoyable with my boys,” Sawyer Thompson ‘22 said.
For the senior class, this would be one of their final moments to be together as a class. The day was primarily based around this, giving the class numerous opportunities to bond with each other one final time.
“I loved all the games they made us play,” Raoul Djidjoho ‘22 said. “It was fun to see everyone laughing and cheering for each other. It really showed how connected we all were.”
The biggest highlight of the day was the last event: the campfire. Seniors gathered around a candle and reflected on their times at The Mount. Many students went up to thank the class for memories, reflect over their four years at Mount Michael, and share their thoughts about the future.
“I thought it was very needed,” Wyatt Walters ‘22 said. “It was very nice to hear what everyone had to say before we graduated.”
The retreat went very well according to the seniors. They enjoyed their time together as a class. It motivated the seniors to try and get together more before their graduation in May.
“After the campfire, I wanted to do more things with my friends,” Wyatt Walters ‘22 said. “Stuff that I’ll remember years after Mount Michael.”
